McLeod asks “Are you ready for Winter?”

SNP MSP for the South of Scotland Aileen McLeod is asking “are you ready for winter” as research revealed that two-thirds of Scottish residents admit they could be more prepared for winter weather.

With last week seeing the first amber warning of this winter with storm Abigail, and yellow warnings across Scotland for snow on Friday to Saturday, Scottish households are being urged to make sure they are prepared for severe.

The research was revealed as the Scottish Government’s Ready for Winter campaign launched last week, which encourages people and communities to take simple steps in readiness for tough weather conditions. For individuals this means staying informed on imminent weather conditions, knowing what to do to get ready, such as having a working torch or knowing how to turn off your utilities, and watching out for those who are more vulnerable to severe weather.

Despite more than a third of people (33 per cent) saying they had been hit financially through disrupted travel, time off work or home repairs many don’t have the essential supplies to help them in an emergency and 46 per cent of respondents said they were not worried about the prospect of severe weather this winter.

Aileen said:

“We have a good deal of experience in Dumfries & Galloway with sudden severe winter weather – and indeed wintry weather when we don’t really expect it like the very severe snow at the end of March 2013.

“Scottish winters can quickly bring cold snaps, storms, flooding and high winds all of which can affect people’s homes, those who are travelling, and those who are vulnerable, so there’s no room for complacency.

“Being prepared for winter can make all the difference when severe weather strikes and this can be as simple as having a shovel and grit ready to keep paths clear and keeping a scraper and de-icer in your car. It is important to remind people of the actions we can all take to get ready in the home, before a journey, at our place of work and in our communities.

“It’s well worth taking a few minutes to ask yourself whether you’re ready for winter and have a look at the advice and suggestions which are available at www.readyscotland.org.”

1.Register with the Met Office and Floodline for their free severe weather warning alerts to stay informed.

2.Make sure you have emergency supplies at home such as a torch, non-perishable food, grit, essential medicines and emergency contact numbers

3.Pack a shovel, blanket, food and a warm drink in your car

4.Know how to turn off your water and electricity supplies

5.Swap telephone numbers with any neighbours who might be more vulnerable to severe weather and make sure you check on them if the weather turns nasty

The Scottish Government’s Ready for Winter campaign provides information and advice on how to prepare and cope with severe weather including snow, ice, flooding and high winds.

The campaign includes a range of online resources and will feature integrated marketing activity across local press, radio (local and community), news websites and social media. This is the fifth year the campaign.

The research published today looks at emergency preparedness in Scotland in 2015. The research was carried out by YouGov Plc during 30 October – 03 November 2015 and a total of 1,026 interviews were carried out.

The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in Scotland (aged 18+).

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